Wade Phillips Is Back, and He's Dancing! (w/ VIDEO)

Yesterday, on my radio show at high noon, when the Texans' roster of free agent signings consisted of three re-signings of their own free agent backups on offense, I invoked prayer to help find what was clearly a disabled or trapped Wade Phillips. I assumed something was wrong with him because he is the Texans' savior, and we need defense.

Within hours of the prayer, we (apparently) found Wade and (likely) got him over to Reliant. I know this because within six hours of the prayer, the Texans had signed cornerback Johnathan Joseph to a five-year deal, and by 10:00 p.m. they'd signed safety/kick returner Danieal Manning.

It's impossible to react any way but positively to these moves if you're a Texans fan. Truth be told, the Texans could have signed a rodeo clown and bathroom attendant to play cornerback and safety next season, and the moves would have been positive. The secondary was atrocious last season, one of the worst units I've seen in thirty-plus years of watching football. Anything would have been an improvement.

These moves represent a major improvement, any way you slice it. Look at last year's starting secondary:

CB - rookie Kareem Jackson (wound up having a season where he was a fixture on every other team's season highlight DVD) CB - second year guy Glover Quin (best player in the Texans' secondary, which is the ultimate "tallest midget" compliment) S - Bernard Pollard (limitations in coverage exposed, and his sizable bark felt like bluster by the end of the season, which isn't all his fault. He wasn't good, though.) S - Eugene Wilson (next)

The scary thing is that looked scary going into last season. It played out even scarier. It wasn't anything where people thought the secondary was going to be good. It was a concern, everyone knew it, no one fixed it. Season sunk.

Unlike last season, this actually looks like you're solid to strong (to maybe even VERY strong) at three of the four spots. A pass rush would certainly help, but the Texans have conducted themselves this offseason like a real NFL team. The influence of Phillips is palpable and welcomed.

So now we're all excited for 2011. Probably nobody more so than Wade Phillips, who we now know is healthy and safe (phew!). And probably dancing around his office on Kirby, maybe even to the YMCA....

Sean is a contributing freelance writer who covers Houston area sports daily in the News section, with periodic columns and features, as well. He also hosts afternoon drive on SportsRadio 610, as well as the post game show for the Houston Texans.